1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for milling a powder including electrostatically charging the powder before the milling step is performed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commercially useful powders including pigments, fillers and waxes typically undergo micronizing as a final processing step before collection and packaging of the powders. Micronizing refers to comminution of a starting powder to produce a product powder having a particle size in the submicron range, usually in the range of from about 0.01.mu. to about 1.0.mu.. Fluid energy mills are commonly used to perform this micronizing step. Fluid energy mills use a high pressure fluid such as a high pressure gas stream to impart shear forces to the starting powder to be micronized, thereby reducing particle size to the desired submicron particle size range.
Milling aids may be introduced into the fluid energy mill to improve the efficiency of the micronizing process so that less power needs to be expended to achieve a particular degree of grind. While milling aids and/or their residues have the desirable effect of improving milling efficiency, these milling aids become incorporated in the product powder and, depending upon the end use of the product powder, can lead to undesirable side reactions. For example, when a product powder, including residual milling aids is used as a pigment in an acid-catalyzed paint system, unwanted chemical reactions such as premature initiation of the epoxy-curing reaction in epoxy-based coating systems can occur. Also, when the product powder is used as a pigment or filler in a plastic, milling aid residue can be volatilized in high temperature plastic processing to generate undesirable vapors.
Collection of micronized product powders for packaging is made especially difficult because of the small particle size of the micronized powders. Micronized powders are conventionally collected using a bag filter or cyclone collector or, rarely, using an electrostatic precipitator. Currently, the extent to which a starting powder can be micronized is limited by collection efficiency for the micronized powder.
Thus, there exists a need for a method for efficiently milling a starting powder without the use of additives whose residues can cause undesirable reactions when the powder is used in a particular application. It is also required that the milling method not further complicate collection of the milled product powder and preferred that the milling method also improve collection efficiency of the product powder.